New Ground
by Jaye Reid
Summary: It's hard being the new kid when you are no longer a kid. Donna wonders what she has to do to break the ice.


New Ground.

By Jaye Reid.

Written: 24.04.2000

Disclaimer: I didn't create them, so these characters all belong to the good people at Southern Star who so far, haven't complained about any of us borrowing their toys.

Authors Notes: Other than a few memorable words and lines ("Cripes" and "The people from Asia are here") – one of the new recruits at the Sydney Water Police has not seen much of the action. I have already written Donna Janevski in my "Complications of Life" series, but in that realm she has already been promoted several times and landed herself in the Detectives office. So I thought it was time to write a Donna story all of her own.

Dedicated to Erin – she knows why! (-:

~*~*~

Donna gazed wistfully out the windows of the meals room, as the rain pelted hard against them. She watched as one small yacht sailed its way back towards the shore. It sailed alone in the rain and she knew exactly how *that* felt. Ever since she had arrived at the Water Police, she felt like she was sailing alone.

But for her the rain was on the inside.

When notification of her posting came, she couldn't believe her luck. Some people waited years and never succeeded to get where they wanted. And there was such a waiting list for the water police branch. But here she was. Sitting in the meals room during her lunch break, apple juice and salad sandwich in front of her, looking out over the blue-grey water.

She remembered someone had once told her to be careful of what she wished for, as it may just come true.

The sound of laughter distracted her for a moment. Gavin Sykes, Matthew and Emma Woods were sitting together drinking coffee. Someone added another comment as they were huddled together leaning forward and Gavin again erupted in a fit of laughter.

She looked away and caught her reflection in the window. Gosh she thought to herself. She looked so young in her uniform with her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. She wondered if she should wear more makeup to make herself look older?

Everyone else looked older – wiser.

They all seemed to know what they were doing, where they belonged. Not just perhaps here, but life in general. She felt so lost still, and out of her depth even more when she set foot inside the front door. Ha! Even the Chief Inspector couldn't manage to get her name right.

No one seemed to care, perhaps this was all one big mistake?

She couldn't understand. She was a cop too. She had made it through the academy just like everyone else. If she wasn't capable of doing the job, they would have turned her away back then. This was real. So why did she feel like a High school kid on work experience? Always searching for the right things to say. Having the clever, witty comments hanging on the tip of her tongue only to find them replaced with moronic and dull remarks when her chance arose. She wanted to run and hide whenever Detective Jack Christey gave her one of those looks that told her he thought she was just some stupid kid. What was *his* problem? And the Sarge? Donna wondered whether she would ever be accepted as a member of the team? She wished someone would just let her in on the secrets the walls held around here. She was sure she would know how this all worked if she could break through the code of silence.

"Hey Donna."

She awoke from her thoughts to find Gavin Sykes standing at the end of the table, looking down at her. She looked up at him, surprised. He had barely said a dozen or more words to her since she had arrived. His voice still sounding so unfamiliar to her.

"May I?" he asked, nodding towards the empty chair opposite her.

"Sure."

Donna picked up her sandwich and took another bite before looking at Gavin sitting in front of her.

"I've been sitting over there," he nodded towards the corner, "you seem all alone sitting here."

"Well… I guess I'm feeling a bit like a fish out of water," she sighed. "No pun intended of course."

"Ha! Of course! Nah that's funny," Gavin laughed.

"Let's just say," she continued, "I thought it would have been a bit different here, that's all."

"Look… It's not you, if that helps… okay?" he offered with a lopsided smile. "We've had some really good people leave around here in the last six months or so. They were pretty important people to each of us in different ways. I guess… I guess it's taking time for us to get used to them not being here."

"You were all friends?" she asked.

"Yeah… we were," he replied seriously.

"So, you all catch up still? After work I mean? Still one big family that doesn't need a new sibling I suppose?" she stated, taking another bite of her sandwich.

"No, no we don't catch up," he replied. Gavin looked out the window over the harbour. He thought he was better about all of this by now. He thought he could talk about lost friends without the familiar lump surfacing in his throat. But obviously the wounds ran deeper than he realised.

"The ones that are still… well still living – we don't hear from them very much anymore. I guess the reasons that brought them to the decision to leave, come back to them when they are around here again. And Goldie… we all miss her. She was a good detective, a good friend."

"She was murdered, wasn't she?" Donna asked quietly.

"Yep." he replied taking a deep breath and then slowly letting it out.

"I'm sorry…"

"Hey, nah… look," said Gavin forcing the memories of those terrible days – weeks, back into his brain. He knew he could deal with them – again – later when he was home, alone, with a few drinks. He forced a smile back on his face. "There are a few of us hitting the Cutter Bar tonight and then kicking on after. We haven't… I haven't seen you out, so why don't you come along?"

"Oh I dunno, I…"

"Come on," smiled Gavin, "it'll get better. Give it some time, you'll feel like you've been here for years."

"Just as long as it doesn't *take* years to feel that way!" she laughed.

"So you'll come along?"

"Who else will be going?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

"Oh well… other than the incredibly interesting and extremely fun loving me, ah… Woodsie, Nick, Maria, I think Alex might depending on the case they are working on, Lance… oh and Matthew," he grinned.

"Yeah okay, count me in," she replied. Matthew was one fellow officer she was interested in getting to know a lot better.

"Good!" replied Gavin slapping his hand on the table.

"Janevski!"

Donna turned to see Helen standing in the doorway, arms crossed, with her usual look of thunder. She glanced at her watch. 

"Oh double cripes… I should have been back downstairs." she whispered through clenched teeth as she hurriedly wrapped the remainder of her sandwich back into the plastic wrap.

"Coming Sarge!" she called as she got up and shoved the chair back under the table with her hip. She turned back to Gavin. "I can't seem to do anything right."

"Time Donna. More than anyone around here – give *her* time," he offered.

"Thanks," she replied with a smile, "I'll try."

Gavin turned back to the window after she left.

The rain had almost stopped. There was a light drizzle still falling that could easily soak a person if they stood out in it long enough. The sun had not broken through the cloud, and perhaps it wouldn't today.

Gavin wandered back downstairs and headed out along the walk to the Nemesis. He shivered and turned up the collar of his jacket to stop the rain getting inside.

No, the sun was not going to shine today.

But eventually he knew they would all feel its warmth and the driving rain would become a memory.

The End


End file.
